Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a taking medicine management, and more particularly, to a method of managing a taking medicine, user terminal for the same and system therefor. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for guiding a user in a taking medicine and checking whether a medicine has been taken.
Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, even a healthy man takes medicines several times a year. And, a chronic invalid should take medicines periodically for a long term. Since the medicines composed of different chemical components, each of the medicines has different absorbing and decomposing processes in a human body and a taking medicine time is mostly determined in advance. Hence, in order to achieve a proper taking medicine effect, it is important to take medicine at a time determined in a predetermined interval depending on ingredients of a medicine and duration of a medical effect.
A medical doctor for prescribing medication or a pharmacist for filling a prescription usually leaves instructions of a taking medicine time and method suitable for living patterns of ordinary people like ‘after rising’, ‘before meal’, ‘after meal’, ‘before sleeping’ and the like for a medication time. Yet, such taking medicine instructions are verbally described by doctors or pharmacists and then depend on memory and attention of a medicine taker in a taking medicine process. Hence, it is difficult to expect an effective taking medicine in accordance with a taking medicine schedule unless each medicine taker pays attention. Particularly, it is not easy for people living in this busy modern society to take medicines properly at a determined time by carrying medicines when going out. Moreover, since a child or an old person may have attention weaker than that of an ordinary person, it may be actually difficult for the child or old person to take medicines punctually and periodically in accordance with a taking medicine schedule. Moreover, the child or old person may not remember a presence or non-presence of a taking medicine of her/his own, whereby medicines may be incorrectly abused.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a separate record chart has been used to assist the taking medicine management. In this case, the separate record chart may include a node, a memo or the like for a user to record a taking medicine event after each taking medicine. Yet, since a taking medicine management using such a record chart is handwritten by a person, it may be difficult to achieve efficient managements. If a user handwrites a taking medicine event on a record chart each taking medicine, an omission or mistake in writing is highly possible. Even if a person tending the sick records a taking medicine event, it may be actually difficult for the person to record every taking medicine event.
Recently, a medicine chest for sorting and receiving medicines supposed to be taken at the determined times is used. This medicine chest is more advantageous than recording a taking medicine event on a record chart in checking whether a medicine is taken. Yet, it is difficult to carry the medicine chest due to a size or weight of the medicine chest. And, the medicine chest needs a job of sorting medicines by taking medicine times. Moreover, if the medicine chest is used, a medicine may be incorrectly received due to a mistake in sorting the medicines. Moreover, since it is necessary to use a separate alarm and the like in order for the medicine chest to inform a user of a taking medicine time, the medicine chest is still insufficient for the systematic taking medicine managements. So, the demand for a method of informing a user of a taking medicine effectively and checking a presence or non-presence of the taking medicine is rising.